Track-cleaner



2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(No Model.)

J.M.TAYLOR.

TRACK CLEANER.

Patentedf'eb. 16. 1892 No.469,10s.

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m: Nonms wu-zns co., mom-u'mm, WASHINGTON, n. c.

' (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

J. M. TAYLOR. TRACK CLEANER;

No. 469,103. Patented Feb. 16, 189 2.

JcuneaJZ. Taylorwi/lnw/aoeo I UNITED STATES PATENT OF ICE.

JAMES M. TAYLOR, OF OMAHA, NEBRASKA.

TRAC K-C LEAN ER.

SPEGIFIGATION forming part of Letters .Patent No. 469,103, dated February 16, 1892.

Application filed August 8, 1891.

TO 0.22 whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JAMES M. TAYLOR, a

' citizen of the United States of America, residing at Omaha, in the county of Douglas and State of Nebraska, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Track-Cleaners; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the i11- vention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to improvements in track-cleaners.

The object of the invention is to provide a track-cleaner which is adapted to remove dbris' from the track and at the same time clean the grooves in the rail, the device being especially intended for sweeping the roadbed of street-tramways; and the invention consists in the construction and combination of the parts, as will be hereinafter fully set forth,

and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, Figure 1 is a plan view showing the application of the sweeper to a car body or truck. Fig. 2 is a side view. Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view showing the fender and shoe which enters the groove of the track.

A designates a suitable frame, which may be formed as a portion of the floor of a car or part of the front truck thereof. The front axle A of the car is provided with gear or sprocket wheels a a, over which pass chains a to the sprocket-wheels b, mounted on the shaft B, which is hung in bearings to be parallel with the axle A. The shaft B is journaled in the ends of the arms or beams (l, the opposite ends of which are mounted on the axle A, and at an intermediate point these beams are rigidly secured to the truckframe. The shaft B carries a beveled gear-wheel b, with which meshes a pinion d, secured to one end of a shaft D, supported in hangers which depend from the truck or frame A, the opposite end of said shaft carrying a beveled pin- Serial No. 402,125. (No model.)

ion in mesh with a gear-wheel d, mounted on the shaft of the rotary broom, supported in hangers e c, said hangers being arranged to position the rotary broom E at an angle with the frame.

Instead of providing the sprocket-wheels and chains as a driving means, I may employ ordinary gearing.

To the arms or beams O are suitably secured fenders F, the rear portions of which are curved outwardly. These fenders are provided at their upper ends with hoods F which shield the arms G, attached to hubs carried by the ends of the shaft B, said arms being bent, as shown, and are adapted to enter the grooves in the rail to loosen and remove any dirt which may collect therein, and will also cut away ice that may form on the rails. The frame also carries standards g, which support the lower ends of the fenders, and to the lower ends of said standards are secured shoes G, which enter the grooves in the track and serve to clean the grooves as well as to guide the frame in turning a curve. The arms G are preferably bent at an angle with the line of movement, so that they will throw the dirt to one side and away from the track.

In summer-time the fenders, hood, and arms G may be removed and the device merely used as a sweeper.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a track-cleaner, a frame provided with an axle oarryin g the supporting-wheels, and a shaft B, connected to the driving-shaft and to the shaft of the rotary broom, the rotary broom being supported in hangers which are arranged to position the broom at an angle with the frame, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination, in a track-cleaner, of a driven shaft provided with hubs and arms G, and a fender F, having outwardly-curved rear end and a hood or cover secured to its upper end, substantially as set forth.

3. In a track-cleaning device, the combination of a driven shaft having pliable arms G secured thereto, and standard carrying shoes G, which are adapted to enter the carried thereby Will be located to one side of groovein thetrack, said shoes'ibeing located thefieniier, suhstanti aliyiajs s et= fofth. 10 rear of the arms G, substantially as set forth. In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in 4. In a track-cleaner, the combination, of presence of two witnesses. 5 the shafts A and B, geared to each other and' JAMES M. TAYLOR.

to a rotary broom, spring-arms G, carried by Witnesses: the shaft B, a fenderE-a-nda standard g, the .NnRSAOKETT,

lower end of which is bent so that the shoe G LOTTIE W. SACKETT. 

